Boxing Day Test 1984

[GhostofJimJess]

Just a request from myself to any real cricket enthusiasts out there, or anyone with a particularly good memory.

I'm putting together a little piece of literature with a backdrop of the Boxing Day Test between the Aussies and the Windies in 1984 - in particular, Boxing Day itself, which happened to be Day Four of the Fourth Test in this case.

If anybody has any specific memories of that particular day of cricket, either as a spectator at the ground or from the TV coverage, I would love you to post it on this thread.

Just to prompt your memories ...

At the beginning of the day Australia were 9/281 chasing the indies First Innings total of 479. Bennett was 17 not out and Rod Hogg was 12 not out.

At the close of play the West Indies were 5/163 (Dujon 40*, Lloyd 22*) in their second dig, after Australia had earlier been rolled for 296.

Hope the scoreboard below works !!!

West Indies 2nd innings

............................................................ ............R M B 4
CG Greenidge ..... lbw .... b Lawson ...............1 13 10 0
DL Haynes ................... b McDermott ........... 63 176 94 4
RB Richardson ............... b Lawson ............ 3 36 26 0
HA Gomes......... c Bennett ...b McDermott ....18 70 46 1
IVA Richards ........ lbw ...... b McDermott .....0 2 2 0
PJL Dujon .................not out ........................49 154 120 2
CH Lloyd ................. not out .........................34 102 52 0
Extras ................. (b 4, lb 9, nb 5) ................18


Any assistance would be appreciated. Maybe, for some peculiar reason you have parts of the day on vid or something ?!

Or if you know how I could get such footage ?

Anyway, thanks for reading.

[ScouseCat]

Originally posted by GhostofJimJess
Any assistance would be appreciated. Maybe, for some peculiar reason you have parts of the day on vid or something ?!

Or if you know how I could get such footage ?

Connoisseur Series - Cricket, The Modern Masters

In this video/DVD is a feature on Viv Richards including parts of his innings of 208 in the 1st innings of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in 1984.

[wagstaff]

The full scorecard of the match is here: http://www-aus.cricket.org/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/1980S/1984-85/WI_IN_AUS/WI_AUS_T4_22-27DEC1984.html

Some points of significance about this match:

*It was the Test that broke the Windies then record streak of 11 consecutive wins. And they really should've won this one too. For some mysterious reason Clive Lloyd let his side bat on during the early part of the 5th day, setting the Australians a target of 370 to win. They weren't a hope in hell of reaching it and Lloyd should've declared with at least an hour to go on the 4th day. Michael Holding, when he was commentating here in 2000/01, mentioned this match as one the Windies should've won.

* It was Kim Hughes' final Test having resigned as captain two Tests previously. In his previous 4 innings he had scored a total of 2 runs. It was also the final Test of Rodney Hogg.

* It was Craig McDermott's first Test, and he got his first Test wicket in unusual circumstances. He bowled a delivery that apparently slipped out of his hand and reached batsman Richie Richardson around his waist area. Richardson was so surprised by the delivery that all he could do was play it down onto his stumps.

[Dogwatcher]

Ghost,
Sorry, I cant contribute any real memories, the first series I have any real memory of is 1985, but I would be curious to hear more about your literary project. As a budding cricket/sports author, i'm very curious.
Also, if you want further literary information I have heaps of cricket books that would deal with that period - but i'm sure you've got those bases covered. I do have year books from then though - in case you want to know.
Yours,
DW.

[GhostofJimJess]

Thanks guys ... Scouse - I'll chase down that vid set. Tahnks

Wags, you're a champ - just the sort of little titbits I was after. Much appreciated Tiger.

Dogwatcher - it's actually not a specialised cricket piece at all, but happens to be set with a backdrop of this particular match ... my second literary outing - hoping my first little baby will be in the stores sometime in the not too distant future. I'll make sure you're the first to know about it.

Cheers ... Ghost

[Wicked Lester]

I recall that series well - particularly a young West Indian bowler by the name of Courtney Walsh.

The Windies bowling line up for most (if not the whole of the series) tests was Marshall (at his absolute best), Garner, Holding (who was, by then, first change and slowing down a bit) and Walsh.

My view at the time was that Walsh was not in the same league as the other three and would be unlikely to have a long career.

I guess its safe to say I was a bit off the mark on the last point, though I suppose its possible to argue that old Courtney was not quite in the same class as a bowler as the other three.

[BT]

All I can contribute is that McDermott took a catch on the boundary in front of the pavillion off a no-ball (from Lawson I think). Because I live in Melbourne we only got the last session of course. I much prefer the test that followed in Sydney when we finally beat the Windies! Thanks mainly to Bob Holland's spin.

Bleak series for the Aussies really.

[wagstaff]

Originally posted by BT


Bleak series for the Aussies really.

It wasn't Australian cricket's finest hour but to be fair, it was against one of the all-time great West Indian cricket sides at their very peak.

And at least Australia managed to avoid the embarassment of being whitewashed 5-0, something that happened to England on two seperate occasions during the mid-1980s.

Probably a worst performance from Australia was in 1986/87 when they were comprehensively beaten by a pretty weak English side at home - the last time they have lost a series against them.

Failing to beat New Zealand in a Test series in 1993, considering how good Australia's side was back then, was also a pretty average effort